HR Adviser (SMMI) at Diocese of Blackburn (
Please do not apply via Pathways, to apply, please visit General vacancies | The Diocese of Blackburn (anglican.org)
This is an exciting opportunity for an individual with demonstrable HR Adviser and project management experience to play a key role in the delivery of Blackburn Diocese’s Vision 2026 – “Healthy Churches Transforming Communities” and the Strategic Mission and Ministry Investment (SMMI) funded programme.
Vision 2026 is an agenda for growth and change agreed by the Blackburn Diocesan Synod in 2015. It challenges our parishes to be healthy churches which can transform the communities in which they are set. It also lays out four ways in which this over-arching goal can be achieved: Making Disciples, Being Witnesses, Growing Leaders and Inspiring Children and Young People for Jesus Christ.
To catalyse the goals of Vision 2026, an extensive consultation process has been carried out to hear from parishes what would help them to grow a healthy church that transform its community and make deeper and more followers of Jesus. The responses to this consultation process have resulted in a £30 million application to the national Church Commissioners for ‘Strategic Mission and Ministry Investment’ funding, due to be considered by the Strategic Mission and Ministry Investment Board in late February 2024. The application requests investment between 2024 and 2030 for the following:
- A Parish System Revitalised for Mission
- Incl. an expanded Parish Renewal Programme, investment into Accrington and Burnley and enhanced administrative support for key renewal parishes.
- A Church that Reflects the Communities it Serves
- Incl. funding for additional children’s/families’/youth workers, additional lay pioneers and inter-cultural ministry enablers
- A Transformed Leadership Pipeline
- Incl. a renewed pattern of clergy retreat and sabbatical and a new Young Leaders’ Academy.
Purpose of the role
The HR Adviser will be the key person for ensuring the HR elements of the SMMI funded programme are implemented. You will provide comprehensive HR advice to the leadership teams in parishes and other internal stakeholders in relation to all employment matters. To support this, you will develop an HR toolkit which will contain useful information and resources for parishes who are employing people. In addition, the role holder will coach and support parish representatives so that good employment and line management practices and procedures are followed.
The support you provide for parishes will be vitally important to the success of the SMMI funded programme. Many parishes will not have employed or line managed staff before and as such will look to you for advice and guidance as they consider applying for one of the SMMI funded posts and subsequently as they look to appoint and manage the new recruits.
The role holder will be part of the current HR team whose aim is to advise, guide and walk alongside clergy, archdeacons, bishops, senior leaders and all employees of the board of Education and Finance when handling and applying positive and safe HR practices. These practices include recruitment and selection, wellbeing, learning and development and HR policies.
Strategic Ministry and Mission Investment Funding (SMMI)
- To be responsible for all HR elements of the SMMI funded project.
- To establish a complete HR SMMI project plan and agree sign off with the diocesan HR manager, diocesan secretary and SMMI programme manager.
- Track progress against the HR SMMI programme plan managing any changes and escalating to the diocesan HR adviser as required.
- Establish appropriate processes to ensure the HR programme plan can be delivered.
- Provide support and advice for parishes and DBE/F line management in the recruitment and selection of SMMI funded employees, advising on safer recruitment, interview techniques and procedures, preparation of advertisements on internal and external recruitment sites, job descriptions, person specifications, interview questions / exercises and contracts.
- To coordinate work with other project leads on SMMI to ensure consistency and reduce duplication of work
- Develop relationships with parishes and employees in order to provide advice on HR matters and organisational issues related to SMMI
- Provide advice in key areas of employee management, training and development, pay and reward policies, appraisal procedures, performance management, redundancy and occupational health & safety.
- Provide specific advice and support on disciplinary and grievance issues within the parishes for SMMI employees.
- Provide specific advice on absence management, obtaining medical information, overseeing the referrals to occupational health as necessary for SMMI employees.
- Provide on-going advice on best practice approaches, developments in employment law, employee relations and current thinking on HR strategies.
- Co-ordinate and advise parishes and employees of the DBE/F on the induction and support for new employees
Equipping parishes to succeed
- Develop a one stop shop of resources for parishes to use in terms of HR matters, including the development of model policies and practices, contracts and guidance documents for parishes to adopt and training and support on their implementation.
- Coaching and support of Clergy and line managers of SMMI employees on the Equalities Act and HR related subjects.
- Develop new policies and procedures and regularly review existing ones to ensure they follow legal and best practice guidelines whilst meeting the changing needs of the parishes.
- To advise parishes on the first 6 months of employment and the legal and good practice steps needed to effectively induct new starters.
- To equip all stakeholders with the requirement and responsibilities of being a good legal employer eg absence management, grievance issues.
General
- Ensure HR records for all DBE/F employees in terms of paper and electronic systems are maintained, regularly reviewed and GDPR compliant.
- Collaboratively work alongside the Finance Team to ensure payroll records are accurate and meet audit requirements.
- Collaboratively work alongside the Safeguarding Team in areas where there is or may be an HR aspect to safeguarding cases.
- Work with the HR staff in Blackburn diocese to ensure consistency and equity.
- To keep up to date with developments in employment law
- To undertake training as required, to undertake other duties and tasks as the management may from time to time require.
- To undertake other duties as required
Qualifications
- Educated to A Level Standard
- HR qualifications equivalent to NVQ Level 5 or above
Experience
- Working with Microsoft Office 365
- Working in an HR Generalist role with particular experience in absence management, conducting investigations and employee relations
- Previous experience of providing an HR service to senior management
- Experience of improving Line Management capacity in relation to HR matters
- Working collaboratively in a team
- Experience and knowledge of good practice in recruitment and selection.
- Experience and interest in managing employee wellbeing
Knowledge and skills
- HR project management experience
- Change Management within an HR capacity
- Strong verbal and written communication skills
- Ability to remain calm and professional when communicating challenging situations
- Good working knowledge of employment law
- Good IT skills with an ability to use Microsoft Office / HR Systems
- Awareness of safeguarding and it’s place in an organisation
- A good understanding of how organisational values are integrated into routine working practices
- Understanding of confidentiality and legal issues connected to GDPR, Health and Safety
Personal qualities
- Self-motivated and able to work comfortably with competing priorities
- Team orientated with an ability to work collaboratively with a wide range of people
- Excellent planning and organisation skills with an ability to meet deadlines
- High degree of empathy / diplomacy and ability to listen
- Honest and trustworthy with a strong sense of ethical and professional behaviour ensuring that confidentiality and ethical standards are met
- Ability to establish and maintain effective relationships at all levels
- Flexible and adaptable
- Positive with a ‘can-do’ attitude
Work related circumstances
- Sympathy with the Christian faith and the ethos of the Church of England
For a full job description and person specification, please refer to the attached recruitment pack.
The Diocese of Blackburn represents the Church of England in most of Lancashire and part of Wigan Metropolitan Borough, covering an area of 878 square miles with a population of 1.3 million.
The Diocese is made up of two archdeaconries, Blackburn and Lancaster, with a total of fourteen Deaneries. There are 281 Churches, comprising around 226 parishes, with around 250 clergy (c. 200 stipendiary) and 230 licensed Readers.
Outline of Terms and Conditions
Employer: Blackburn Diocesan Board of Finance
Contract type: Permanent – funding is available until 2030
Salary: £35,246.00 per annum
Hours: This is a full time role based on a 35-hour working week, but the post holder may be required to work additional hours as to meet the reasonable requirements of the role. The post holder will be entitled to time off in lieu of attending meetings outside normal office hours which may include evenings and weekends.
Location: The post holder will be based at the Blackburn Diocese Board of Finance, Clayton House, Walker Office Park, Blackburn, BB1 2QE. The nature of the role requires regular travel around the diocese, and sometimes beyond. A smartphone and laptop can be provided to assist remote working.
Pension: The default for staff is a Royal London Pension Scheme, 10% Employer contribution 2% minimum employee contribution. Clergy can opt into the Church of England Clergy Pension Scheme via a salary sacrifice. Details of this are available on request.
Annual leave: The full-time entitlement is 25 days (not including statutory bank holidays) in the first year of employment rising by 1 day per completed calendar year up to a maximum of 30 days per year. This is pro rata for part time employees. The holiday year runs from 1 January to 31 December.
Probationary period: The appointment is subject to the satisfactory completion of a six-month probationary period.
Notice Period: During the six-month probationary period two weeks’ notice is required on either party. Thereafter you will be required to give six months’ notice should you wish to resign.
Expenses: Working expenses are paid at the diocesan rates.
Employee Assistance Programme: is available
Right to work: The post-holder must have the right to reside and work in the UK.
Diversity – The Diocese of Blackburn believes that diversity enables us to thrive and develop and is committed to race equality, welcoming applications from UK Minority Ethnic/ Global Majority Heritage backgrounds
The Diocese of Blackburn is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. All post holders and volunteers are expected to share this commitment.
How to apply: Please do not apply via pathways. To apply, please visit General vacancies | The Diocese of Blackburn (anglican.org)
Closing date: 11:59pm, Sunday 3rd March 2024
Interview date: Wednesday 20th March 2024
